Like a traditional electric stove, an induction stove uses electricity to generate heat. However, instead of heating a resistive element (such as a coil of metal) by passing electric current through it, an induction stove generates an oscillating magnetic field that causes the cooking vessel itself to be heated. The term “cooking vessel,” as used throughout this specification, refers to any pot, pan, skillet or other article in which food or other material is placed to be heated on a stove.
In an induction stove, a wire coil located beneath the cook-top receives an alternating electrical current, and thereby creates an oscillating magnetic field. When a cooking vessel made from a ferromagnetic material is placed on the cook-top, the oscillating magnetic field causes the ferromagnetic material to heat up. The ferromagnetic material is heated by means of magnetic hysteresis loss in the ferromagnetic material as well as by eddy currents created in the ferromagnetic material (which generate heat due to the electrical resistance of the material). The mechanisms by which an induction stove generates heat in a cooking vessel are well known to those of skill in the art. Typically, no portion of the cook-top itself is directly heated by the induction heating element, unlike in a traditional electric stove, where a circular heating element is heated in order to heat a cooking vessel that is placed thereon.
Due to the numerous advantages associated with use of induction stoves, they have become popular all over the world. The variety of locations in which induction stoves are used means that induction stoves encounter a variety of electrical power systems from which they draw electricity. In the U.S., for example, the standard voltage in North America of the general-purpose AC power supply is between 100 and 127 V, while in most of Europe, it is around 230 V. It is disadvantageous for manufacturers of induction stoves to be required to outfit their products with numerous different electrical components to accommodate different markets around the world. It is similarly disadvantageous for individuals who move from one region to another to be required to purchase an adaptor or even a replacement induction stove.
Also, because they are fully electric, induction stoves create the possibility of improved temperature sensing and temperature and cooking control. Typical cook-tops are not able to monitor or control the temperature of the cooking vessel directly. For example, in gas stoves, the only control a user has is over the flame height. The ability to control the temperature of the cooking vessel would provide cooks with better control over their preparation of food. Better temperature control would also enable improved safety features, like auto shut off and the like.
Finally, induction stoves are popular for mobile installations such as in recreational and commercial boats, recreational vehicles, and campers. These installations create additional safety concerns because of the additional risk of spilling during cooking, which arises because the induction stove is effectively in motion. Boat safety organizations have created safety standards to guide consumers in this area, and these include requirements related to the angle from horizontal at which a cooking vessel will slide off of a cook-top. One such organization has set a minimum pitch angle of a cook-top (measured from horizontal) before which a cooking vessel will fall or slide off in order for that cook-top to be considered safe.
What is desired therefore, is an assembly and/or device that will improve the compatibility of induction stoves with a variety of electrical power supply grids, while enabling an induction stove to maintain consistent power levels for a setting regardless of input voltage or frequency. What is also desired is an assembly and/or device that will protect the cook-top surface of an induction stove while permitting better control over the temperature in the cooking vessel. What is further desired is an assembly and/or device that will improve the safety of an induction stove installed in a mobile environment.